It is known in the prior art to provide a multitude of watering cups attached to a single pressurized water distribution system in larger scale poultry houses. These watering cups typically utilize a spring loaded valve with a small portion of the valve extending into the watering cup where it can be moved by the chickens so as to admit small amounts of water. A continuing and troublesome problem with prior art devices is that the valves often leak due to an accumulation of dirt either from the chicken house or from the water supply which gets into the mechanism of the valve and jams it into an open position. Leaks are particularly undesirable since they create a wet condition around the watering cup in the bird droppings which in turn causes the growth of bacteria, bad odors, and generally unsanitary conditions.
Although many approaches have been tried by the prior art to make the valves clog and dirt proof, no satisfactory solution has yet come forth. The best approach remains that of actually disassembling and cleaning leaky valves as they are encountered. Unfortunately, this means that the operator must shut down the water supply system to all of the cups since removal of any one valve will open up the system at that point allowing the water to spray out. My invention overcomes this problem by providing an easily cleanable valve with a detachable cup as described hereinafter.